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BOOST collaboration of SME and academia by initiating RTD consortia in the cross- disciplinary field of BIOSYSTEMS technologies and network the players for a thematic cluster in the ScanBalt BioRegion

Final Report Summary - BOOST BIOSYSTEMS (BOOST collaboration of SME and academia by initiating RTD consortia in the cross disciplinary field of BIOSYSTEMS technologies and network the players ...)

BOOST BIOSYSTEMS supported the collaboration of SMEs and academia by motivating R&D consortia. The sector analysis provided by the projects partners on their regions showed that within the partners' regions both industry and academic institutions have the full range of expertise to react to future demands in biosystems technologies. Based on the data, it was suggested that future RTD consortia should focus on questions in analytics and diagnostics. Potential RTD partners could profit from the massive knowledge in the regions university clinics and hospital centres as well as from future demands of service providers such as clinical research organisations.

About 1 000 actors from biotechnology, biomedicine and microsystems technology were identified and 220 were informed about biosystems potential: 132 actors were brought together at five trans-regional events. These were aimed at opening the regionally identified and built RTD consortia for interregional collaboration.

BOOST BIOSYSTEMS set up six seminars which focused on information about present competence fields and future potentials in biosystems technologies. Critical success factors for SME/academia consortia in participation in EU RTD activities were identified. Further assistance was given to 49 SMEs and academia partners for setting up EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) proposals, 9 transnational cooperations in RTD involving SMEs were generated and totally 12 proposals for EU RTD were delivered or under preparations (from this 6 with New Member States participation).

'New diagnostics' were identified as one of the most promising focus areas for the region and it resulted in several new initiatives. The new Finnish cluster strategy includes closer collaboration between the HealthBIO, Nano- and ICT clusters, in order to be in line with the interdisciplinary approach of biosystems and new diagnostics. The Baltic Center of Biotechnology and Innovative Diagnostics was established in Gdansk and will act as a hub for future ScanBalt activities in the biosystems field meaning to start new research and collaborative activities among the now known group of actors in the region. Furthermore ScanBalt and its members will continue to offer dedicated SME support services including project incubation, EU FP7 project management and brokerage events. This has been included in the ScanBalt strategy plan for the next years.

The project proved that there is a huge potential in biosystems technologies and that the actors in the Baltic Sea Region are now more aware of it. This has been shown by supporting 49 SMEs and academia partners in setting up collaborations or research proposals. The project and the results also influenced the new ScanBalt strategy 2008-2011 where project incubation became a focus area and that support to biosystems related research activities will be actively given by ScanBalt members (mainly the Bioregions).